The article claimed Mrs May had "secured private concessions from Brussels that will allow her to keep the whole of Britain in a customs union, avoiding a hard border in Ireland".

The article also quoted a "senior Whitehall source" as saying "Ireland is f*****" in a new deal which the newspaper claims Mrs May will be unveiling soon, and is confident can attract support from parliament.

Mr Coveney said the article was written with a British audience in mind and such "running commentary" isn't helpful.

"The EU27 has been united through the Brexit process. The UK has given written commitments last December and March that the Withdrawal Agreement will give a legal guarantee of no return to a hard border in Ireland in any circumstance - this is the backstop," Mr Coveney said.

"In March the UK agreed this backstop will apply 'unless and until' a close future relationship eliminates any need for border infrastructure or related checks and controls. We want the EU and UK to get to negotiating that close future deal but the UK must first deliver on the commitments of leaving.

"The EU support to Ireland has been and remains unwavering.

"The negotiators are working hard and a running commentary isn’t helpful. Today’s Sunday Times piece is obviously aimed at a UK audience.

"However Donald Tusk, Michel Barnier, Jean Claude Juncker and indeed Theresa May herself, have all said there will not be a deal without a legal guarantee of no hard border in Ireland.

"We hope a deal can be done but we’re not there yet.”

The Times' article states the EU will write an all-UK customs deal into the legally binding withdrawal agreement from the EU. If this happens, the backstop - designed by the EU and which treats Northern Ireland as different from the rest of the UK - will no longer be required.

It also claims Theresa May is on course to securing a Canada-style trade deal.

A senior Whitehall source told the paper: "The PM will be able to say there's no more backstop, we've got rid of that - success. There's an exit mechanism - success. And you've got Canada - success. The small print is that Ireland is f*****".